Sugar Australia

OVERALL

Owned

SGP

Rating

Sugar manufacturer

The Australian sugar industry produces 5.2 million tonnes of raw sugar annually and 85 per cent of this is exported. 75 per cent owned by Wilmar, the world's biggest palm oil trader. Distributes and markets stevia sweetener products under an agreement with GLG Life Tech.

Company Ownership

Australia's #1 sugar processor and refiner (#8 globally). Owns and operates eight sugar mills in Queensland, processing more than half of Australia's raw sugar. Australia's largest producer of sugar-based ethanol and renewable energy from biomass. Sold by CSR to Wilmar in July 2010. Previously known as Sucrogen.

World's #1 palm oil trader. World's #1 palm biodiesel manufacturer. Asia's largest agri-business group. One of the largest plantation companies in Indonesia/Malaysia. Run by Khoon Hong Kuok. Supplies palm oil to multinational companies such as Unilever, Nestle and Cargill. Bought CSR's sugar and renewable energy business in 2010, and Goodman Fielder in 2015.

Founded in 1949. Run by Robert Kuok. Interests include shipping, real estate, Shangri-la Hotels, media and agribusiness. They previously controlled 10% of the world's sugar. Affiliated with Wilmar International, the world's biggest palm oil processor. Wilmar is run by Robert Kuok's nephew, Khoon Hong Kuok.

One of Australia's largest sugar cane producing and sugar manufacturing companies, owned by 1100 canegrower shareholders and operating four sugar factories in Queensland. Mackay Sugar was formed in 1988 as a co-operative. In 2008 they became a restricted public company. Owns 25% of Sugar Australia. In 2019 Nordzucker acquired a 70% stake.

This company is a member of Bonsucro - Better Sugar Cane Initiative, a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering the sustainability of the sugarcane sector through its leading metric-based certification scheme and its support for continuous improvement for members.[Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

New research (2014) from Friends of the Earth in Indonesia, Liberia, Uganda and Nigeria, shows how Wilmar International, one of the world's largest palm oil traders, continue their abusive practices of deforestation and land-grabbing, despite promises to stop.[Source 2014][More on Forests]

This company sources palm oil from 18 of the 25 dirty palm oil producers identified in the 2018 Greenpeace report "The Final Countdown". Despite announcing a groundbreaking 'no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation' policy in 2013, the report found that Wilmar still gets its palm oil from groups that are destroying rainforests and stealing land from local communities.[Source 2018][More on Palm Oil]

This article from German NGO Rainforest Rescue reveals how in Indonesia, people are driven off their land, and the rainforest they depend on to make a living is turned into giant palm oil plantations. Anyone who resists is intimidated, arrested or held at gunpoint. Wilmar's armed security forces have been used repeatedly to silence the people who defend themselves against land grab and violence. Wilmar operates plantations in Sumatra and Borneo that cover up to 600.000 hectares of land, and is notorious for illegal logging and human rights violations.[Source 2014][More on Human Rights]

A 2016 report by Amnesty International found a range of labour rights abuses on the plantations operated by Wilmar's subsidiaries and suppliers in Indonesia. These abuses include worst forms of child labour, forced labour, discrimination against women workers, people being paid below the minimum wage, and workers suffering injuries from toxic chemicals[Source 2016][More on Human Rights]

A civil society coalition is calling on investors and buyers (including this company) of palm oil producer Felda Global Ventures (FGV) to take robust, transparent action to address ongoing risks. This follows the Wall Street Journal's expose of human trafficking, forced labor, withholding of wages and other abuses of workers on FGV's palm plantations in July 2015.[Source 2016][More on Palm Oil]

Wilmar, the world's biggest trader in palm oil, is illegally logging rainforests, setting forests on fire and violating the rights of local communities in Indonesia, according to a 2007 report published by Friends of the Earth Netherlands. [Listed under information due to age of report][Source 2007][More on Forests]

This company has signed a letter of intent (https://bit.ly/2rdBlwn) to participate in the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, which claims will lift 50 million people in Africa out of poverty by 2022. But according to a 2015 report by ActionAid, the scheme will benefit multinational companies at the expense of small-scale farmers and is likely to increase poverty and inequality in Africa. Launched in 2012, the New Alliance provides aid money from rich countries like the US and the UK, and helps big business invest in the African agricultural sector. But in return, African countries are required to change their land, seed and trade rules in favour of big business. The New Alliance will: Make it easier for big corporations to grab land in Africa: Prevent farmers from breeding, saving and exchanging seeds: Heavily promote chemical fertilisers and pesticides, which increase farmers risk of debt as well as damaging the environment and farmers' health: Replace family farms with low paid, insecure jobs; and Prevent countries from restricting crop exports, even at times of domestic shortage.[Source 2015][More on Finance]

In Dec 2013 Wilmar announced a No Deforestation Policy in response to years of pressure from Greenpeace, NGOs and consumers around the world. The policy has the potential to transform the controversial palm oil industry, says Greenpeace. Greenpeace are closely monitoring how Wilmar puts these words into action, and are calling on the company to immediately stop buying from companies involved in deforestation.[Source 2013][More on Forests]

This company is a member of Bonsucro - Better Sugar Cane Initiative, a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation fostering the sustainability of the sugarcane sector through its leading metric-based certification scheme and its support for continuous improvement for members.[Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]

The Forest 500 identifies, ranks, and tracks the governments, companies and financial institutions worldwide that together could virtually eradicate tropical deforestation. Rankings are based on their public policies and commitments and potential impacts on tropical forests in the context of forest risk commodities (palm oil, soya, beef, leather, timber, and pulp and paper). This company received a score of 3/5.[Source 2016][More on Forests]

In 2018 KnowTheChain benchmarked 120 large global companies in the ICT, Food & Beverage, and Apparel & Footwear sectors on their efforts to address forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains. This company received a score of 48/100.[Source 2018][More on Workers Rights]

BankTrack is a global network of civil society organisations and individuals tracking the operations of the banking sector and the activities they finance. Banktrack aims to promote fundamental changes in the banking sector so that banks adopt just and sustainable business practices. BankTrack also has profiles on companies, such as this one, which have been the subject of civil society campaigns for damaging the environment or society. Follow the link to see this company's profile.[Source 2018]

This company is listed on the Facing Finance website as a company that manufactures weapons or profits from violations of human rights, pollution, corruption, or international law. Follow link for further details.[Source 2014]